Difficulty reaching CBP by phone.

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

The CBP folks at Roc h Harbor are quite nice. While they come from the office in Friday Harbor, the folks who serve at Roche, even during the winter when they have to drive over, are superb. The rest of the gang in Friday Harbor leave a LOT to be desired. Clueless and rude.

Sorry Stu - that has not been my experience at Friday Harbor. I have crossed there maybe 4 or 5 times and never been treated rudely. The only time a little exasperation on their part surfaced, was when I had not gotten my current year sticker and had to complete the forms on the spot. It was a fairly busy summer day and they (CBP) had several boats they needed to process.

In 25 years of living in the PNW with our family, we probably have more than 35 or 40 border crossings (land and water) and have been treated professionally on both side. Not to say they didn't ask questions, and once on each side I have gone through a more extensive questioning / search but there was no rudeness either time. I really feel this is one of the easiest borders to transit.

[Amaleo]

There is a handy cell phone app called "CBP ROAM" that works better than the telephone call, especially when the number demands a password. Also, if your boat is 31' or longer an annual sticker is required. Sold in December and expires at the end of the year even if you buy it in October. This applies to both US and non-US boats entering US ports from abroad. To buy one a person has to use CBP ROAM to get to DTOPS, a sub-agency that collects the money and mails the sticker. Until a sticker is on the boat Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) will not clear the boat.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Amaleo

There is a handy cell phone app called "CBP ROAM" that works better than the telephone call, especially when the number demands a password. Also, if your boat is 31' or longer an annual sticker is required. Sold in December and expires at the end of the year even if you buy it in October. This applies to both US and non-US boats entering US ports from abroad. To buy one a person has to use CBP ROAM to get to DTOPS, a sub-agency that collects the money and mails the sticker. Until a sticker is on the boat Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) will not clear the boat.

As stated repeatedly .... the ROAM app is only for arrival in US waters and has nothing to do with the calls to be made every time a foreign vessel moves within US waters. Also the DTOPS decal is not required for foreign vessels with a cruising license.

[Shrubb]

As a French sailor visiting the US waters 6 months ago, I checked in and out several times between the USVI and the BVI. This was without any difficulty on the US side but a real (and expensive !) hassle on the British side where laws and regulations vary with each officer...

It was simple entering the USVI since there is no cruising permit requested there, and I had a US visa. When I left for the last time, I went to the customs to clear out and I was said there is no clearing out, no zarpe and no paperwork to do.
I later entered again US waters in Florida. I wished to use CBP Roam app, which I had installed and filled up on my phone far in advance, but it was on an European SIM card and it did not work - how is it possible to have a US SIM card before entering the US ?? Fortunately I had an American crew on board, he installed the app on his own phone and we made all procedures through video-chat without any problem.
For the boat I had to buy a cruising permit and I was granted a 24-hour delay. This was made in Jacksonville, Fl., and after many questions they gave me the permit and asked me to call the customs by phone at each different port I would stop in. I made it carefully : for the first port an officer answered and simply acknowledged. For the following ports I got several numbers to call and it ended with a robot which asked me to leave a report which was recorded. I gave my plans at the very first stop, including the date I planned to leave the US waters.

Just before leaving, I was in Annapolis where there is no CBP office, I had a very short weather window. I decided to leave without any further formalities, remembering the USVI officer who told me that no clearing out was requested for private boats.
When arriving in the Azores, the Portuguese simply asked me my last port of call and no clear-out form or zarpe from the US was requested.
But now I am wondering if this is a risk if I enter the US waters again, by air or on my boat. No issue, or fine, prison...? Or is it possible to apply to the US Customs from abroad and make the situation clear ?
Thank you.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Shrubb

For the boat I had to buy a cruising permit and I was granted a 24-hour delay.

There is no fee for a Cruising License.

[hasse_A]

Originally Posted by Shrubb

Just before leaving, I was in Annapolis where there is no CBP office, I had a very short weather window. I decided to leave without any further formalities, remembering the USVI officer who told me that no clearing out was requested for private boats.

I think the rules are different for USVI and mainland US including Puerto Rico.

Before we left Purto Real on the west coast of Puerto Rico we checked out with a friendly CBP-officer who had driven down to us for this.
We then had a 6 day crossing to Santiago de Cuba. We sail along south coast of Cuba and up to Havana. We stayed in Cuba for 1 month.
We then sailed strait to West Palm Beach where we entered the US. This is where we had all the hazel getting in touch with CBP as I described in the first post of this thread.

Later I checked by logging in to CBP and found that we where never actually checked out from Puerto Rico. We now have 2 entries without any exit in between. We were lucky to still have enough time remaining from the first entry. Otherwise we would have had an overstay. Not good!
We left by air to Europe before the end date specified in our passport. When we landed in Sweden we requested to get an entry stamp in our passport to be able to prove that we had exited the US ahead of the expiry date.
The immigration officer on the Swedish border had never heard of a swede wanting this and it needed some persuasion.
It would not surprise me if your time of stay in the US still is ticking and when it expires you will be flagged as overstayed. This will then probably be a problem if you return to the US.

You need to check everything the CBP does. When we entered USVI on St. Croix the officer stamped our expired passports and I had to correct him. We have the 10 year visa in those.

/Hans

[Shrubb]

Originally Posted by hasse_A

It would not surprise me if your time of stay in the US still is ticking and when it expires you will be flagged as overstayed. This will then probably be a problem if you return to the US.
/Hans

OK, what kind of problem ? This was my question.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Shrubb

OK, what kind of problem ? This was my question.

Thats the catch !
It depends entirely on the officer standing in front of you.

[hasse_A]

Originally Posted by Shrubb

OK, what kind of problem ? This was my question.

You can read here :
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/internati...ler-compliance
It says you may get an email 10 days before expiry but I would not count on it.

and here :
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Artic...language=en_US

Note :
If you departed by land, private vessel or private plane, you will need to take steps to correct the record. If you do not validate your timely departure from the United States, or, if you cannot reasonably prove you departed within the time frame given to you when you entered, the next time you apply for admission to the U.S., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may conclude you remained in the U.S. beyond your authorized stay. If this happens, your visa may be subject to cancellation or you may be returned immediately to your foreign point of origin.

So, the proof is all on you.

What will happen is all up to the officer you meet. You will probably not be sent to prison but you may be forced to leave immediately.

Friends of ours entered USVI with a VWP which they thought were valid. It was not. They should have been fined $1000 but the officer was nice and they only had to pay $500.

Google is your friend.

/Hans

[hasse_A]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

There is no fee for a Cruising License.

That is true. However there will be a $19 fee for the initial Vessel Entrance form as stated here :
https://www.pointrobertsmarina.com/w...CENSE-2016.pdf

/Hans

[Shrubb]

Originally Posted by hasse_A

You can read here :
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/internati...ler-compliance
It says you may get an email 10 days before expiry but I would not count on it.

and here :
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Artic...language=en_US



So, the proof is all on you.

What will happen is all up to the officer you meet. You will probably not be sent to prison but you may be forced to leave immediately.

Friends of ours entered USVI with a VWP which they thought were valid. It was not. They should have been fined $1000 but the officer was nice and they only had to pay $500.

Google is your friend.

/Hans

Thank you for this useful information. I have the record of my entry in Azores after I left the US. I sent an email to CBP with an attempt to correct my situation. I don't plan to visit the US shortly but I prefer to have this corrected as much as I can.